If you don’t know what Adobe® Labs is, it’s the center for all of Adobe®’s products that are under development. You can get the latest scoop on what new software Adobe® is working on. Check it out here.

A few key elements from the release notes and the official Lightroom® Journal:

Library

• Streamlined Library Layout
• Smart Collections
• Powerful Filter Bar to search and refine images
• Suggested Keywords for simplified keywording
• 10k pixel size limit raised to 30k pixels
• Output-based Collections

Multiple Monitors

• Four flexible modes for an alternate window: Grid, Loupe, Compare, Survey
  (Check out the Live Loupe mode!)

Photoshop® CS3 Integration

• Open files in Photoshop® as a Smart Object
• Select multiple images to merge as a Panorama
• Merge multiple exposures into a single Photoshop® HDR image
• Load multiple files or virtual copies into Photoshop as separate layers in a single document.

Export Functionality

• Auto-add exported images to the Lightroom® catalog
• Auto Output Sharpening for images on export

Develop Module

• Non-Destructive Localized Correction for dodging and burning specific areas of an image
• Post Crop Vignette
• Basic Panel Keyboard Shortcuts
• Improved Auto Adjustment
• Improved memory handling through 64-bit support on OS X 10.5 and Vista 64-bit.(Not limited to develop module)

Print Module

• Picture Package for multi-page layouts
• Print Module output directly to JPEG
• Enhanced Print Sharpening based on PhotoKit Sharpener algorithms
• 16-bit Printing for Mac OS X 10.5

Primary Known Issues

• Lightroom® 2.0 beta will not upgrade Lightroom® 1.x libraries. The beta is intended to be used for testing and feedback purposes. Lightroom® 1.x and 2.0 beta libraries will be migrated to the finished version of Lightroom® 2.0.
• While data loss is not expected, this is a very early beta quality build and you should always work on duplicates of files that are securely backed up.
• Lightroom® 2 beta will not overwrite or interfere with a machine that currently has Lightroom® 1.3.1 installed.
• Develop settings applied in Lightroom® 2.0 beta are not guaranteed to transfer correctly to the final version of 2.0. This is particularly true for localized corrections.
• The new Photoshop® integration functionality is only available with Photoshop® CS3 (10.0.1) and should only be used for testing purposes. Metadata associated with the original file may not carry over to the subsequent file saved from Photoshop®.

Check out the official release notes here.

There are also some awesome tutorials and guides that have just been published. Julieanne Kost has a few video tutorials, and she’s creating more. And, once again, the NAPP has created a great online learning center.

A bunch of stuff…go check it out.